Steel on the Lakeshore

Wednesday June 6 is the last day for the public to comment on U.S. Steel’s plans to make up for spilling a toxic chemical into a Lake Michigan tributary last year. But the Environmental Protection Agency says those plans are incomplete.

The Trump administration made good on threats to impose tariffs on some of the nation's closest allies Thursday, announcing it will no longer exempt Canada, Mexico and the European Union from previously announced levies on steel and aluminum.

The Trump administration has decided to hold off on imposing most of its tariffs on imported steel and aluminum until at least June 1.

Tariffs were scheduled to take effect at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday on imports from Canada, the largest U.S. supplier of steel and aluminum, as well as Mexico, Argentina, Australia, Brazil and the EU.

A source familiar with the decision says the administration has reached an agreement in principle with Australia, Argentina and Brazil, which may avoid the need for tariffs against those countries altogether.

President Trump's tariffs on imported steel aren't the first time the industry has gotten protection from the U.S. government. Not by a long shot. In fact, tariff protection for the industry — which politicians often say is a vital national interest — goes back to the very beginning of the republic.

In his book, Clashing Over Commerce: A History of U.S. Trade Policy, Dartmouth professor Douglas Irwin writes that protection for the metal producers began in the 1790s.

HAMMOND, Ind. (AP) — U.S. Steel will pay a $600,000 civil penalty and $630,000 to reimburse various federal agencies for costs and damages after one of its plants discharged wastewater containing a potentially carcinogenic chemical into a tributary of Lake Michigan, federal and state officials said Monday.

The U.S. Justice Department said those terms are contained in a consent decree filed Monday in federal court in which U.S. Steel promised to take steps to improve its wastewater processing monitoring system to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Water Act and Indiana law.

President Donald Trump’s 25 percent steel and 10 percent aluminum tariffs are designed to make U.S. workers more competitive in the international economy. That could have a big impact on a manufacturing-heavy state like Indiana.

The Brewers Association says canning is the most popular method for new breweries. That has some Indiana brewers worried the tariffs could stunt growth and increase prices for consumers.

When you walk into the taproom at Sun King Brewing in Indianapolis, one of the first things you notice is the noise. There’s the constant hum of brewing equipment in the background, and some of it comes from the nearby canning line.

(THE CONVERSATION) President Donald Trump has been promising to save American manufacturing, and the steel industry in particular, since the presidential campaign. His attempt to follow through on that promise was the March 8 tariff increase on foreign steel and aluminum, arguing that the tariffs were necessary to protect U.S. industries and workers.

Trump joins a long line of presidents, both Republican and Democrat, who have used trade policy in an attempt to create or protect jobs – almost always in vain.

Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson joined Lakeshore Public Radio's Tom Maloney to discuss her upcoming trade mission to Canada, with Governor Eric Holcomb. Mayor Freeman-Wilson also discusses business expansion for the Hoosier state, as well as what's next for Gary following the city's Amazon HQ2 bid.

EAST CHICAGO - An ArcelorMittal spokeperson says innovation is underway at the Northwest Indiana steel company. It's for that reason David White, ArcelorMittal Director of Process Research in Global Research and Development, says he believes the future of steel is very bright.

White, who is based at ArcelorMittal's East Chicago location, says the company is currently making products for the automotive industry, that he says will make automobiles more efficient and safer. The company is making new products for other industries, outside of automotive.

Indiana’s ports move millions of tons each year of the stuff that’s made and used at Midwest factories, including steel, grains and coal. The three ports – one on Lake Michigan and two on the Ohio River – connect Indiana to the national and global economies, and each has to find its own ways to keep up with change.

For the first part of a three-part series, we visited the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor to see how it’s secured its place in the steel industry.

The Environmental Protection Agency is responding to a chemical spill, which threatens beaches and the nearest public water intake, from the U.S. Steel facility in Portage.

US Steel reported Tuesday the wastewater spill into Burns Waterway, about 100 yards away from Lake Michigan. In a statement released late Wednesday, U.S. Steel says the spill resulted from an equipment failure and it has idled all production processes at the facility.

The Chicago Auto show draws car enthusiasts from across the country to see the latest trends and innovations, Lakeshore Public Radio's Steven Lattimore takes shows us how innovations in steel manufacturing means a better future for steel workers in Northwest Indiana.

A Minnesota steel company is spending almost $9 million dollars to grow its operations at the Port of Indiana in Burns Harbor, as state officials say they’ll prioritize Indiana ports and infrastructure investment in 2017.

Ratner Steel Supply plans to double the size of its four-year-old operations in Portage, just east of Gary.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation says Ratner will add a few dozen jobs and expand its ability to ship steel across the Region.

A judge has thrown out an antitrust claim against China by U.S. Steel. It’s the latest twist in the Northwest Indiana steel giant’s months-long bid to ban Chinese steel imports:

International Trade Commission administrative judge Dee Lord rejected the Pittsburgh-based company’s antitrust complaint against China. But it’s not the only trade case that U.S. Steel has in the works with the ITC.

A steelworker was killed at U.S. Steel’s Gary Works plant last week on September 30th. It’s the second death there this year, it comes amid rising tensions over safety.

Data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration shows 28 primary metal manufacturing workers were killed on the job across the country in 2014. Two of those were in Indiana, about average for the past few years.

Steelmaker ArcelorMittal, whose largest North American mill is in Indiana Harbor, is introducing a new high-strength steel for cars. As Indiana Public Broadcasting’s Annie Ropeik reports, it’s part of an effort to boost profits — amid an uncertain time for the industry.

The new steel is designed for the interior rails and pillars that make cars safer during a crash. A spokesperson from Arcelor, which is the world’s largest steel producer by volume, says it should make cars lighter and cheaper to produce when it’s rolled out next year.

ArcelorMittal and the United Steelworkers union reached a tentative bargaining agreement, ending eight months of talks. The union announced the pact to its members in a bargaining update on its website on Wednesday. If ratified, the contract runs until Sept. 1st, 2018.

No contract details were divulged but the union said the agreement “preserves our economic security and other contractual protections.” Union officials called it a “fair agreement” that balances the need of management to save money, while maintaining a standard of living for union workers.

The steel industry has changed considerably over the last 30 years. It leaves many wondering about the future of working in the field.

As part of Lakeshore Public Radio’s “Steel on the Lakeshore” series, Lakeshore reporter Sharon Jackson talked with Purdue University Calumet Economics professor Paul McGrath about what’s changed in steel and McGrath says subcontracting is among the big changes.

Steel is still a giant field in Northwest Indiana, but the industry is also looking at other parts of the world at which the local workforce can do the work required to make quality products.

As part of Lakeshore Public Radio’s “Steel on the Lakeshore” series, Lakeshore reporter Sharon Jackson spoke with Purdue University Calumet Economics professor Paul McGrath as part of Lakeshore Public Radio’s “Steel on the Lakeshore” series.

ArcelorMittal is not an American company. The organization has steel plants all over the world and could locate their operations anywhere they want to, but there are some benefits the company reaps producing in the United States.

Purdue University Calumet Economics professor Paul McGrath spoke with Reporter Sharon Jackson on the future job viability of the steel industry in Northwest Indiana and the United States, as part of Lakeshore Public Radio’s quarterly issues reporting collaborative, “Steel on the Lakeshore.”

The steel industry has faced several issues recently, including the large tariffs imposed on imported steel due to unfair trade practices.

Purdue University Calumet Economics professor Paul McGrath shared his analysis on the viability of the industry here in Northwest Indiana.

Lakeshore Public Radio’s Sharon Jackson spoke with McGrath about the industry and where it’s going as part of Lakeshore Public Radio’s “Steel on the Lakeshore” Quarterly Issues reporting collaborative.